Higher Stability Index Research Articles

Weld quality monitoring in friction stir lap joining of dissimilar Al6061 to polycarbonate using thrust–torque-based process stability signatures

The joining of dissimilar aluminium-based alloys to thermoplastic polymers is highly challenging which indicates the necessity of friction welding procedures. The present work addresses the degrees of steadiness in welding thrust-torque to monitor the lap weld contour of aluminium alloy (Al6061) overlapped on polycarbonate sheet or vice versa using friction stir welding. The primary objective was to compare the monitoring capability of the weld non-uniformity by using raw signals and stability signature of welding thrust and stirring torque. Further, these stability indices were used for the prediction of weld mechanical behaviour using response surface methodology. The stability signatures were found to be a better indicator of weld profile unevenness than raw signals as it was an amplified version of the local deviations in welding thrust-torque. Improved strength efficiency up to 49% was noticed in PC-Al welds due to improved process stability at intermediate tool traverse (55 mm/min) and revolving speeds (1100 rpm). The stability in stirring torque was better indicator of weld quality features than tool thrust steadiness in Al-PC lap while it was reversed in PC-Al lap. Thus, the thrust force instability was mostly indicated the joint ductility while combined steadiness in thrust-torque were essential for the prediction of weld strength. The higher stability index in tool thrust (≥7.5) with ample torque steadiness (5–8) can upgrade the Al-PC weld strength (≥20 MPa), whereas intermediate thrust stability (6–6.5) with high stable torque (≥7) can uplift the joint strength (≥25 MPa) in PC-Al welds.

Estimation of adaptability parameters of collection hulled oats varieties according to productivity in the Kirov region

The current paper has presented the study results conducted on the experimental plot of the Falenskaya breeding station of the branch of the FSBI FANC of the North-East in 2021–2023. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the collection hulled oat varieties according to grain productivity and adaptability parameters in the soil and climatic conditions of the Kirov region. The materials for the study were 9 collection oat varieties and the standard variety ‘Krechet’. According to the trait ‘productivity’, there have been estimated adaptability parameters. During the testing years, the studied variety samples differed significantly in productivity variability (V = 16.8–30.0 %). The factor ‘year’ had the greatest effect on the formation of oat yields (90.3 %). In the arid year of 2021, the varieties’ productivity was low (276–401 g/m2), with a negative index of environmental conditions (Ij = -163), in the most favorable year of 2022, it was 463–682 g/m2 and Ij = 104, respectively. The variety samples ‘k-3967 0144’ (-190 g/m2) and ‘15584 Mutant 258’ (-214 g/m2) were characterized by high stress resistance. High genetic flexibility of mean productivity under contrasting conditions was established in the variety samples ‘15472 Sumphony’ (504 g/m2), ‘k-3967 0144’ (496 g/m2) and ‘15340 Uran’ (487 g/m2). There have been identified such gene sources as plastic ‘k-3967 0144’, ‘15472 Sumphony’, ‘15340 Uran’, ‘k-3951 0146’, ‘k-3954 0149’ (IEP = 1.13–1.0), and with high stability of the trait ‘productivity’ ‘k-3967 0144’, ‘15584 Mutant 258’, ‘k-3954 0149’ (SF = 1.47–1.78). Low variability and high homeostaticity were found in the variety samples ‘k-3967 0144’, ‘15584 Mutant 258’, ‘k-3954 0149’ (V = 16.8–22.8 %; Hom = 31.31–20.75) with a high stability index (Is = 5.95–4.38). The adaptability coefficient has confirmed the high adaptability of variety samples ‘k-3967 0144’, ‘15472 Sumphony’ and ‘15340 Uran’ (KA =112.3–108 %). In adaptive breeding for further work, the varieties ‘k-3967 0144’, ‘15584 Mutant 258’, ‘k-3954 0149’, ‘15472 Sumphony’, ‘15340 Uran’ are of great interest, since they are the most adaptive in terms of the sum of ranks. Based on a comprehensive estimation of productivity and adaptability parameters, ‘k-3967 0144’ was recognized as the best variety sample, which can give a large mean productivity (526 g/m2) in changing weather conditions.

Structure, functional and physicochemical properties of lotus seed protein under different pH environments.

The present study investigated the structure, functional and physicochemical properties of lotus seed protein (LSP) under different pH environments. The structures of LSP were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, particle size distributions, free sulfhydryl and rheological properties. The functional and physicochemical properties of LSP were characterized by color, foaming property, emulsification property, solubility, oil holding capacity, water holding capacity, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and surface hydrophobicity. LSP was mainly composed of eight subunits (18, 25, 31, 47, 51, 56, 65 and 151 kDa), in which the richest band was 25 kDa. FTIR results showed that LSP had high total contents of α-helix and β-sheet (44.81-46.85%) in acidic environments. Meanwhile, there was more β-structure and random structure in neutral and alkaline environments (pH 7.0 and 9.0). At pH 5.0, LSP had large particle size (1576.98 nm), high emulsion stability index (91.43 min), foaming stability (75.69%) and water holding capacity (2.21 g g-1), but low solubility (35.98%), free sulfhydryl content (1.95 μmol g-1) and surface hydrophobicity (780). DSC analysis showed the denaturation temperatures (82.23 °C) of LSP at pH 5.0 was higher than those (80.10, 80.52 and 71.82 °C) at pH 3.0, 7.0 and 9.0. The analysis of rheological properties showed that LSP gel had high stability and great strength in an alkaline environment. The findings of the present study are anticipated to serve as a valuable reference for the implementation of LSP in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

A polyimide separator inlaid by methylsilyl-modified silica aerogels for high thermal safety and low polarization lithium-ion battery

The separator is a crucial component of lithium-ion batteries, playing a vital role in ion transfer and preventing polarization of the battery. To solve the problem of poor thermal safety of separators in lithium-ion batteries, in this work, three types of hydrophobic silica aerogels are compared. A suitable separator is fabricated by adding hydrophobic silica aerogels with monomethylsilyl as a modifier to pure polyimide. The aerogel composite separator displays a highly cross-linked three-dimensional nanoporous network, a low thermal shrinkage rate (<4 % at 200 °C), and high thermal stability (peak temperature of 670 °C) and oxygen index (>45 %). In addition, owing to the introduced hydrophobic functional groups of Si–CH3, the prepared separator decreases the polarization of the lithium-ion batteries and leads to improved power performance and cycle stability (its discharge voltage difference is 0.42 V higher than that of Celgard 2325 at 5 C). This work provides a new method of improving the safety and simultaneously reducing the polarization of lithium-ion batteries, which has promising application potential in power batteries.

Micellar extracts obtained from Bistortae rhizoma, Fraxinus excelsior, and Romex crispus as components of hair shampoos

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential applications of micellar extracts derived from Bistortae rhizoma, Fraxinus excelsior, and Romex crispus as components of hair shampoos and to examine the impact of these micellar extracts on the specific properties of the formulated cosmetics. The antioxidant activity, polyphenol content, and vitamin C content of the plant materials selected for the study were assessed. In addition, particle size analysis was performed for the obtained micellar extracts. The shampoos prepared on the basis of original formulations were evaluated for irritation potential, viscosity, foam stability index, and color. The plants evaluated in the study exhibited a high level of antioxidant activity, and the derived extracts were found to contain micellar aggregates. The application of the extracts was shown to reduce the skin irritation potential of the shampoos and reduce their viscosity. In addition, the formulated shampoos were characterized by a high foam stability index. Substantial variations in the color of the cosmetics were observed upon the introduction of the micellar extracts into the formulations.

Abstract 7179: OBI-992, a novel TROP2 targeting antibody drug conjugate demonstrates superior in vivo PK/PD properties and a favorable safety profile

Abstract Background: TROP2 targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have demonstrated promising clinical responses for the treatment of various solid tumors. However, these ADCs still exhibit serious safety issues, such as hematologic toxicities and interstitial lung disease. OBI-992, a novel TROP2 targeting ADC, which is derived from the conjugation of an anti-TROP2 antibody with a topoisomerase I inhibitor, exatecan, via an enzyme-cleavable linker. OBI-992 is designed to have high serum stability and broad therapeutic index. Herein, we describe the results from preclinical studies of OBI-992, including in vitro and in vivo stability, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) profile, and safety evaluation. Material and Methods: To characterize OBI-992, the linker stability was evaluated by ex vivo serum stability and rat PK studies. PK/PD properties, including systemic and tumor exposures as well as receptor occupancy, were evaluated in a human lung cancer xenograft model. In vitro toxicity testing, including ADC toxicity on differentiating neutrophils and FcγR mediated toxicity, was evaluated using human monocyte THP-1 cells. A 6-week repeat dose toxicity study in cynomolgus monkeys was conducted to evaluate the safety and toxicokinetics of OBI-992. Results: Ex vivo serum stability demonstrated that OBI-992 exhibited better linker stability than the benchmark datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd). In vivo PK evaluation in rats showed that OBI-992 had lower Cmax and AUC of free payload than Dato-DXd, indicating a better PK profile of OBI-992 in rats. A PK/PD study in tumor-bearing mice revealed that OBI-992 exhibited higher tumor exposure of free payload than Dato-DXd, resulting in a better antitumor efficacy. In addition, the antitumor effect positively correlated with percentage of receptor occupancy in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro cytotoxicity testing demonstrated that OBI-992 had lower toxicity in differentiating neutrophils and THP-1 cells compared to Dato-DXd, suggesting that OBI-992 may cause less off-target toxicity. Toxicokinetics of OBI-992 in cynomolgus monkeys revealed that the systemic exposure of ADC was similar to that of total antibody. Furthermore, the systemic exposure of ADC and total antibody were found to increase in a dose-proportional manner. Major toxicities in monkeys were target-related skin lesions. The highest non-severely toxic dose (HNSTD) was determined to be 60 mg/kg. Conclusions: OBI-992 exhibits remarkable antitumor efficacy and a favorable safety profile, supporting further clinical development of OBI-992 in TROP2 positive cancers. Citation Format: Chi-Sheng Shia, Shih-Ni Wen, Ren-Yu Hsu, Jyy-Shiuan Tu, Hui-Wen Chang, Wan-Fen Li, Ming-Tain Lai. OBI-992, a novel TROP2 targeting antibody drug conjugate demonstrates superior in vivo PK/PD properties and a favorable safety profile [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7179.

A five-band terahertz metamaterial absorber with properties of polarization-insensitive and wide-angle tolerance based on bulk Dirac semimetal

We design a bulk Dirac semimetal (BDS) metamaterial-based terahertz absorber consisted of a BDS layer, a dielectric layer and a gold grounding layer from top to bottom, which produces five excellent terahertz absorption peaks having 99.55%, 99.63%, 99.65%, 97.72%, and 99.87% absorption at 0.49 THz, 0.85 THz, 1.68 THz, 2.00 THz, and 2.27 THz, respectively. The five-band BDS-based absorber is polarization-insensitive and wide-angle tolerance, with good absorption in the incident angle range of 0°–60°. The tuning of the Fermi energy level of BDS in the range of 40–70 meV enables the dynamic adjustment of absorption frequencies and absorption rates of these peaks. We also analyze the refractive index sensing sensitivity of five-band BDS-based absorber, it is revealed that when the refractive index of surrounding analyte is changed from 1.0 to 1.8, the refractive indices of the five absorption peaks are 57.75 GHz/RIU, 107.25 GHz/RIU, 101.75 GHz/RIU, 101.75 GHz/RIU, and 134.75 GHz/RIU, which approximately exhibit an enhanced sensing sensitivity as the absorption frequency increases. The design is simultaneously characterized by multiple bands, high absorption, high stability,and high refractive index sensitivity, which should have great potential for application in the fields of terahertz technology.

Migration of Nutrient Substances and Characteristic Changes of Chicken White Soup Emulsion from Chicken Skeleton during Cooking

The protein and fat in chicken skeleton can be emulsified in a boiling state to form milky white chicken soup. White chicken soup has a delicious taste, good nutritional value, a beautiful color, and volatile flavor compounds. However, cooking time significantly impacts the quality of white chicken soup. Herein, we investigated the influence of cooking time (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 min) on the migration of nutrient substances and characteristics changes in white chicken soup from chicken skeletons. The results showed that nutrients such as total lipids, water-soluble protein, total sugars, solid matter, and oligopeptides in the chicken skeletons’ tissue continuously migrated into the soup during the cooking process. The total nutrient content in the chicken soup was highest after cooking for 180 min. Simultaneously, the white chicken soup obtained after cooking for 180 min had low interfacial tension and high whiteness, viscosity, and storage stability. The high stability index was associated with increased ζ potential and decreased particle size. The contact angle analysis results also indicated that the stability of the white chicken soup was improved when the cooking time reached 180 min. This research provides basic information for the production of high-quality white chicken soup.

Isolation and characterization of cellulose from date palm waste using rejected brine solution

This study introduces a new and waste-to-waste treatment approach to isolate cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. Rejected brine solution from desalination plant was utilized to remove noncellulosic components from the date palm leaves. Free chlorine available in rejected brine solution was responsible for the separation of cellulose from lignocellulosic structure. The proximate analysis revealed that the isolated cellulose exhibited a substantial volatile content of 83.70%, rendering it well-suited to produce bio-oil. Various other analytical techniques including FTIR, chemical composition analysis, proximate and ultimate analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed to confirm the cellulose enrichment. Cellulose fibers with needle−shaped morphology were obtained. Cellulose fibers were having high thermal stability (Tonset = 250 ○C) and crystallinity index (64.75%) compared to raw waste (Tonset = 226 ○C; 53.58%). In addition, the activation energy (Ea) of both date palm leaves and isolated cellulose were investigated using the Coats−Redfern model−fitting method. The activation energy values obtained were 79.39 kJ/mol for date palm leaves and 103.27 kJ/mol for isolated cellulose. This research shows a completely new process for pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes to isolate cellulose. This approach helps reduce the waste management cost associated with date palm waste and desalination plants to promote the concept of circular economy. Moreover, enriched cellulose derived from waste palm leaves using desalination brine presents sustainable options for eco−friendly packaging, textiles, biodegradable composites, and enhanced bio-oil production applications.

Genotype-by-Environment Interaction Analysis for Quantity and Quality Traits in Faba Beans Using AMMI, GGE Models, and Stability Indices.

Faba beans are considered one of the most important crops for animal feed. The genotype × environment interaction (GEI) has a considerable effect on faba bean seed production. The objectives of this study included assessing multiple locations and genotypes to understand how various ecosystems and faba bean genotypes relate to one another, and suggesting the ideal climatic conditions, crop management system, and genotypes so that they are carefully chosen for their stability. A 2-year experiment was conducted in order to define the stability across four environments based on stability indices for certain characteristics: moisture (%), ash content (%), crude protein content (%), crude fat (%), total starch (%), and crude fiber content (%). Statistically significant differences indicated that GEIs were present. The heritability was generally high for qualitative traits in comparison with quantitative traits. The crude protein content, plant height, and thousand-seed weight were all positively correlated with the seed yield; however, the other qualitative variables were adversely correlated. The crude protein content of the cultivar Tanagra displayed a high stability index, followed by Ste1. Under conventional management, Tanagra demonstrated high values for the seed yield in Giannitsa and Florina. Ste1 and Ste2 are particularly promising genetic materials that showed high values under low-input conditions. The best genotypes to use and the most favorable environments/types of cultivation were the Tanagra cultivar, followed by the Ste2 genotype, according to the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and genotype plus genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot models. Earliness showed significant heritability values and very high stability indices, again indicating qualitative behavior according to genetic parameters. With the exception of the number of pods per plant, which demonstrated low heritability while having excellent index values, traits like seed yield showed relatively low-stability-based heritability values. Global efforts aimed at improving the genetics of faba beans might benefit from genotypes that exhibit consistent yields in various conditions.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of Prinsepia utilis Royle seed oil: A comprehensive study on chemical composition, physicochemical properties, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities

Ethnopharmacological relevancePrinsepiautilis (PU) Royle, native to the Himalayan region, is a deciduous thorny shrub with numerous traditional uses of its roots, leaves and seeds for treatment of conditions such as rheumatic pain, joint pain, arthritis, and inflammation. Aim of the studyKeeping in mind the growing demand of products of natural origin as alternate medicine, the present study was undertaken to scientifically validate for the first time the traditional claims of healing pain and inflammation by evaluating the fatty oil isolated from the seeds using established in vitro and in vivo models. Materials and methodsPU Seeds were Soxhlet extracted using n-hexane and fatty oil was isolated. Chemical composition of the oil was established with the aid of Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The oil was then subjected to in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by following the established protocols of trypsin inhibitory and bovine serum albumin denaturation assays. The acute toxicity of the oil was also studied using OECD guidelines 423. The anti-inflammatory property of the oil was further evaluated using carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced edema in the rat paw. Moreover, hot plate latency and tail immersion assay were employed to evaluate analgesic activity of the oil. To establish the quality of the oil, various physicochemical properties were also studied. ResultsGC-FID and GC-MS analysis of the oil revealed the presence of linoleic acid (59.06 ± 0.00%), oleic acid (28.11 ± 0.01%), palmitic acid (9.51 ± 0.01%) and stearic acid (3.32 ± 0.01%). In vitro trypsin inhibitory and bovine serum albumin denaturation assay revealed dose-dependent notable activity of the oil with IC50 value of 63.57 μg/mL and 518.14 μg/mL, respectively. The physico-chemical characterization demonstrated that the oil possesses a low acidity and a high oxidative stability index. The oil was found to be non-toxic and displayed effective anti-inflammatory activities with significant inhibition till 4 h in carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced rat paw edema at maximum tested dose of 200 mg/kg b.w. The oil also exhibited significant results in hot plate latency and tail immersion assay with positive effects showing up to 4 h after dose administration. ConclusionThese findings, besides supporting the traditional claims, suggest that P. utilis seed oil has potential therapeutic applications as a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. Further studies are warranted to explore its mechanisms of action and potential use in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Flax genotypes with horizontal resistance to pasmo (septoria) for breeding purposes

Relevance. Flax pasmo currently belongs to the most common diseases in the flax-growing regions of the Russian Federation. In the years of epiphytotics, losses from the disease can increase up to 25–30%. Purposeful breeding work for resistance to pasmo is restrained, first of all, by the absence of highly resistant to the disease of the initial forms of long-lived flax. The purpose of our research was to search for genotypes with horizontal resistance to flax pasmo for use in breeding programs for disease resistance.Methods. The total assessment of the harmfulness of the disease was the criterion «area under the disease development curve», the stability index of each sample was calculated.Results. In the conditions of Tver region (2019–2021) in an infectious nursery on an artificially provocative background to pasmo in the field, the stability of the collection and breeding material of long-lived flax was determined in dynamics. During the years of research, 731 flax genotypes were analyzed, the level of horizontal stability of each genotype was calculated. During the study, 61 genotypes with different levels of protection were identified, characterized by a delayed type of pasmo development. The stability index was 0.26–1.8 cu. The greatest breeding and immunological value is represented by 29 genotypes (L-2815-7-1, L-2808-8-5, L-2633-8-1, 0-15157-6-4, 0-15157-6-14, 0-15157-6-4, 0-13606-8-7, L-2815-7-1, L-3003-6-4, r-311-538-9, r-61-523-9, L-2947-6-3 etc.) in view of the high stability index. Тhe highlighted Selected samples with a horizontal type of stability should be used for flax breeding programs. These samples for two to three years showed a high and average index (0.26–0.6 cu) of stability.

Characteristics of reduced-fat mayonnaise prepared by oleaster as a fat replacer and natural antioxidant.

Due to the disadvantages of consuming fat and synthetic preservatives, the demand to reduce them in lipid-based products like mayonnaise is increasing. In the current research, there were two goals, the first one was studying the effect of using oleaster flour in different concentrations (4%, 6%, and 8%) as a natural preservative, whereas the second one was studying the effect of oleaster as different fat replacement (FR) levels (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) on the physicochemical, antioxidant, and the rheological properties and stability of reduced-fat mayonnaise samples. Given results showed that with increasing the oleaster concentration, the antioxidant property increased significantly. The peroxide value after 60 days of storage for the 30% FR 8 was 2.01%, compared to the control sample without antioxidant and with TBHQ, which were 10% and 2.68%, respectively. The highest stability index (100%) was observed in the 30% FR and 40% FR samples. In terms of rheological characteristics, the 30% FR 8 oleaster showed the highest viscosity and the lowest frequency dependency. It can be concluded that oleaster has a high potential to be used in the formulation of low-fat mayonnaise as a fat replacer.

Surface Wettability-Switchable Janus Fiber Fragments Stabilize Pickering Emulsions for Effective Oil/Water Separation.

Pickering emulsions indicate stronger resistance against droplet coalescence than the surfactant-stabilized emulsions. To resemble the surfactant amphiphilicity, Janus fiber fragments (JFs) were herein prepared through side-by-side electrospinning of poly(styrene-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) derivatives and cryosection of the aligned fibers, followed by conjugation of hydrophobic cetylamine (C16) and hydrophilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) ligands on the separate sides. Orthogonal analysis table L25(56) was designed to examine the effect of process parameters on the emulsification efficiency and stability index of Pickering emulsions. The emulsification efficiency is dominated by the JF concentration and length, while the emulsion stability could be prolonged through adjusting the JF concentration and hydrophilic graft density. JF-stabilized emulsions exhibit a much higher stability index (96.4%) than that of Janus microparticle counterparts (37.7%). Though there is no apparent effect on the surface wettability, JFs with PNIPAm grafts of about 2200 Da achieve the most stable Pickering emulsions. Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles are inoculated into JFs to collect emulsion droplets under a magnetic field, and the emulsions could be demulsified at an elevated temperature to harvest oil. Meanwhile, the recovered JF emulsifiers could be repeatedly used without loss of the emulsification efficiency. Thus, this study demonstrates surface-switchable JFs to be effective stabilizers of Pickering emulsions and readily recycled for oil harvesting from wastewater.

Understanding resilience of urban food-energy-water nexus system: Insights from an ecological network analysis of megacity Beijing

Increasing resource crises force cities to scrutinize resilience status of urban food-energy-water (FEW) nexus system, which is highly depend on their metabolic processes. Taking Megacity Beijing as the case, we developed an ecological network model to explore structural and functional characteristics of urban FEW metabolic systems, with consideration of local availability, cross-region supply and resource nexus. The results show that the metabolism of food, energy and water exhibits different topological structures, and water presents typical loop network structure with APL and FCI values of 3.02 and 0.08 respectively, while food metabolizes in a loose topology and energy suffers dissipative losses in a uniflow form. This makes water metabolic network a robust organization with greater circulation, higher stability index (1.81) and better adaptive capacity to counter to vulnerability, yet energy network performs poorly for lacking redundancy and food network is more sensitive to changing conditions. Our findings enable decision-makers to find opportunities to build a more resilient city via improving FEW metabolic network synergistically, such as strengthening local resource reserves to provide buffering capacity when external supplies fail, as well as enhancing utilization efficiency of dominant industries and promoting treatment and reuse to make continuous survival and prosperity possible.

Decoupling analysis of water consumption and economic development of arid and semiarid regions in Northwest China

AbstractThe contradiction between China's economic development, its need for resources and the protection of the environment is ctitical. Scarce water resources have resulted in a considerable bottleneck restricting the economic development of water‐deficient areas. An objective evaluation of the decoupling state of water consumption and economic development has become an important indicator of regional economic sustainable development. Based on panel data from 2000 to 2017 for six provinces in the arid and semiarid regions of Northwest China, the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index method is employed to decompose the factors of the decoupling index and establish a decoupling relationship model between water consumption and economic development. The reasons that affect the decoupling state of water resource utilization and economic development are herein discussed, and the stability of the decoupling trend is analysed. Based on the overall regional trend, the decoupling state of the arid and semiarid regions in Northwest China improved from weak to strong, but the high decoupling stability index varied among the provinces. The intensity and structure were promotional factors for decoupling water consumption and economic development, and the contribution rate of the intensity factor was higher than that of the structure factor. Income and population were inhibiting factors for decoupling water consumption and economic development, and the contribution rate of the income factor was higher than that of the population factor. Based on these results, corresponding policy recommendations are provided.

Changes in stability and volatile flavor compounds of self-emulsifying chicken soup formed during the stewing process

The influences of stewing times (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 h) on total sugar, total lipids, water-soluble proteins, ζ-potential, particle size, stability index, microstructure, and volatile compounds of chicken soup were investigated, and the taste and aroma profiles of chicken soup were evaluated using a sensory panel. The results showed the self-emulsifying chicken soup obtained after stewing for 4 h had the highest stability index. The improvement in stability index was connected with the increase of soluble protein and ζ-potential and the decrease of particle size. Optical microscope, confocal laser scanning microscope, and scanning electron microscope observations showed that oil droplets and the particles in the soup were small and uniformly dispersed when the stewing time reached 4 h. Additionally, GC-MS analysis showed that the types and relative percentage contents of volatiles in the chicken soup changed with the extension of stewing time. The flavor composition variation was tending towards stability after stewing for 4 h, and the sensory evaluation results also showed that the scores of umami, saltiness and aroma of chicken soup were no longer significantly increased. In general, a balance between stability and flavor formation of the self-emulsifying chicken soup achieved after 4 h of stewing. This study provided a basic information for high-quality chicken soup.

Collinearity and Dimensionality Reduction in Radiomics: Effect of Preprocessing Parameters in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Magnetic Resonance T1 and T2 Mapping.

Radiomics and artificial intelligence have the potential to become a valuable tool in clinical applications. Frequently, radiomic analyses through machine learning methods present issues caused by high dimensionality and multicollinearity, and redundant radiomic features are usually removed based on correlation analysis. We assessed the effect of preprocessing-in terms of voxel size resampling, discretization, and filtering-on correlation-based dimensionality reduction in radiomic features from cardiac T1 and T2 maps of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. For different combinations of preprocessing parameters, we performed a dimensionality reduction of radiomic features based on either Pearson's or Spearman's correlation coefficient, followed by the computation of the stability index. With varying resampling voxel size and discretization bin width, for both T1 and T2 maps, Pearson's and Spearman's dimensionality reduction produced a slightly different percentage of remaining radiomic features, with a relatively high stability index. For different filters, the remaining features' stability was instead relatively low. Overall, the percentage of eliminated radiomic features through correlation-based dimensionality reduction was more dependent on resampling voxel size and discretization bin width for textural features than for shape or first-order features. Notably, correlation-based dimensionality reduction was less sensitive to preprocessing when considering radiomic features from T2 compared with T1 maps.

Biological production of xylitol by using nonconventional microbial strains.

Xylitol (C5H12O5), an amorphous sugar alcohol of crystalline texture has received great interest on the global market due to its numerous applications in different industries. In addition to its high anticariogenic and sweetening properties, characteristics such as high solubility, stability and low glycemic index confer xylitol its fame in the food and odontological industries. Moreover, it also serves as a building-block in the production of polymers. As a result of the harmful effects of the chemical production of xylitol, the biotechnological means of producing this polyol have evolved over the decades. In contrast to the high consumption of energy, long periods of purification, specialized equipment and high production cost encountered during its chemical synthesis, the biotechnological production of xylitol offers advantages both to the economy and the environment. Non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, also termed as nonconventional, possess the inherent capacity to utilize D-xylose as a sole carbon source, unlike Saccharomyces species.

Evaluation of Post-harvest Quality of Marigold Flowers After Packaging and Storage in Different Seasons

In the present study, the keeping quality of differently packed and stored marigold flowers was evaluated under ambient conditions during summer and rainy seasons. The shelf life of marigold was 1 day in summer and 4 days in rainy season which was supported by high membrane stability index, relative water content, total soluble proteins, total soluble sugars, lesser loss in physiological weight, minimum spoilage and maximum freshness index of flowers in rainy season. The ice box, CFB box and polythene packages showed better results in comparison to gunny bag and onion mesh bag. One day storage was better in comparison to two and three days in all the seasons. Thus, marigold flowers can be packed in ice box, CFB box and polythene for 2 to 3 days without any adverse effect on keeping quality during rainy season. Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(2): 247-254, 2022 (June)